Quinnipiac University will be returning to its pre-pandemic parking policy of assigning parking based on class-year as well as introducing new measures to reduce traffic congestion this fall 2022 semester. According to an email announcement on July 27, seniors can park in most Mount Carmel lots including North Lot, Hilltop and Hogan Lot and juniors can park in Hilltop and Hogan Lot. However, sophomores will only be allowed to park on York Hill. 

In order to ensure students are parking in the correct lots, parking decals will be color-coded based on class-year. Students will need to get new parking permits for the start of the semester. 

To reduce traffic congestion, One Stop plans to add a new electronic gate in North Lot near the athletic fields for cars to exit the lot. Associate Director of Public Relations for Quinnipiac, John Pettit says he believes this gate will allow for better traffic patterns inside the lot. 

“We believe that allowing vehicles to exit the North Lot onto Mount Carmel Avenue at the far eastern corner of the lot alongside the athletic fields will improve the flow of traffic exiting the lot, which will help reduce congestion within the lot and traffic buildup on Mount Carmel Ave. during peak hours,” Pettit said “A new electronic gate will be installed to manage this one-way exiting traffic.”

One Stop has also updated the shuttle system to further accommodate students. The York Hill Express Shuttle will run from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday directly to and from Mount Carmel Campus. There will also be a temporary shuttle stop at the Harwood Gate Lot on Mount Carmel Campus replacing the stop at South Lot due to the ongoing construction for the South Quad. 

These final decisions on parking were made by many groups on campus including Student Government, the Parking Advisory Board and a group of select MBA students that agreed to study parking trends and shuttle services on campus as part of their capstone consulting project during the spring 2022 semester. 

Third-year Entry-Level Master’s Physician Assistant (ELMPA) student Emma Farrell says on-campus parking has been a recurring issue for her this past year.

“The lots are always full and it’s such a hassle to find a good parking spot, especially at night time when all the spots fill up because I think people park in areas that they’re not supposed to,” Farrell said. “One time I had to drive around aimlessly for a parking spot to open up, it’s like hunting season. It’s so annoying, there’s not enough space.”

This semester, commuter students will need to pay the $90 parking fee as announced in February 2021. Pettit confirmed that there will be penalties for students who do not follow all of the parking protocols. 

“Students who violate university parking policies could face fines and/or have their vehicles towed,” Pettit said. “Students who park too close to a fire hydrant or in areas such as a handicapped parking space or fire lane will be fined and have their vehicles towed.”

Farrell says although she’s worried people “will be lazy and park where they want to park”, she’s appreciative of the new policy. 

“I think that the policy is better because I do think the older you are, the more privileges you should have,” Farrell said. 

Overall, the university is hoping these regulations will eliminate parking as an issue on campus. 

“We believe these new policies will improve the parking experience for our students, faculty and staff by reducing congestion in the North Lot, easing traffic buildup on Mount Carmel Ave. during peak hours, and having clear parking policies that are based upon class year,” Pettit said.

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